< previous page page_530 next page >

Page 530
"Oh, no," Alinor replied. "You may acquit Sir Peter of hanging that door. It has been there since my grandfather's time. One of the castellans had fits of madness in which he tried to kill anyone who came near."
"And your grandfather kept him as castellan?" Ian laughed, waking up a little in his amusement.
"The castellan was very old then. His sons held the keep and did well by it and the lands, and by their father also. What should my grandfather have done? You cannot cast an old servant out just because he becomes useless."
"You are right about that." Ian sighed, and his eyes started to close. Suddenly he opened them wide again. "Is Sir Peter by any chance of that brood?" he enquired. "It would mayhap explain whatto speak the truthseems to me ever and ever more mad than vicious."
"No. That is not the explanation. The younger son also became crazed and killed himself. The elder died in battle. There were no childrenwisely so, I thinkand my grandfather appointed Sir Peter. Sleep now, love. I think I hear the others coming in, and I must tend to them also."
Ian's eyes drooped shut, but he forced them open once more. "Alinor." She returned quickly to bend over him. "See to Geoffrey's head," he mumbled. "The leech says it is safe, but you look at it."
He slept through the next hours, while Alinor attended to the very slight damages suffered by Llewelyn, Salisbury, and Gwenwynwyn and examined Geoffrey and Owain to be sure they had been properly treated. After Gwenwynwyn had been settled into the locked chamberexactly suited to both his status and his situationshe came at last to Sir Peter, who shied away and would not meet her eyes.
"I have done a great wrong," he said at last with considerable effort, "but I meant well to you, my lady. I thought I would be a more faithful servant than one

 
< previous page page_530 next page >